Págo to Kalokaíri : Summer Ice
by KarmaHope
Summary: 5 years have passed since Pitch was defeated. It isn't long, however, before the news arrives that their old foe is back- and set on vengeance. This news entails complications, including a fiery redhead and a history about the Guardians spanning back to Ancient Greece- a history that could affect the future ... but Jack and the new girl get along like fire and ice. Literally. JxOC
1. Prologue: Approximately 500 BC

Edited 5.19.13

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_The first thing I can remember is pain._

It was a searing pain, the type that begins in the extremities and slowly creeps its way toward the heart. The type of pain so hot it nearly feels cold, like picking up a copper pipe that's been lying in the sun on a hot summer day.

Only this time, I couldn't drop the pipe once the pain registered.

The second thing I can remember is blinding light, light so bright it washed everything out to a brilliant white color. I had no clue where I was or what had happened. I had no idea, even, of who I was.

Slowly, the light began to dim until I realized my eyes were actually closed. Groaning, I lifted the lids slowly, allowing little slivers of light into my eyes. Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as bright as the painful whiteness I had encountered mere moments before. As I gained my bearings, I slowly pushed myself to a seated position.

No, I realized as my senses returned to me, the light wasn't white. It was orange. It was Orange and red and the color of burnt umber. The heat I had felt hadn't gone away- if anything it was hotter than ever. How I was even conscious, I didn't know, for I was lying on the floor of a rapidly burning building.

My memories of what happened returned to me in a flash, and I gasped. I should have felt pain from inhaling the smoke-filled air, but I felt nothing. I got to my feet rapidly, causing me to lose my balance. My hand shot out and braced against the nearest object- a burning rafter.

The very same rafter I remembered had fallen on me but a few minutes ago.

It was all rushing back to me now. A celebration. A distraction. A hearth untended and forgotten. An ember. A spark, a blaze of wild abandon. Panic. Fear. Chaos.

"Abellona!" It begins with a cry, "Get Charis outside, now!"

The man who yells is Lysander, who has been my best friend since we were old enough to talk. It's the sound of the person who I cared for the most trying to make sure his little sister got out of the apartment complex safe.

"What about you?"

I'm yelling as well, and the smoke from the growing blaze is getting into my lungs and eyes. I'm tearing up, and my diaphragm is threatening to go into convulsions. And yet, I don't want to leave. Not if he isn't.

"There are a couple kids stuck back there!" he exclaims, "I need to see if I can get them out. I'll be right down! Go, Abellona, Run!"

Tears stream from my eyes, obscuring my vision. Whether it is from the smoke or something else entirely different, I don't know. I tear my hazel eyes from his own dark brown ones as I turn my back to him. Blinking hard, I reach down to where Charis sits curled up in a ball.

I tug at the little five year old's hand to get her attention before hauling her off her feet. Ducking my head to the chaos and pain around me, I sprint my way to the entrance of the building as fast as I could.

The street outside the apartment is just as chaotic as the inside. Tucking Charis to my chest, I dodge and avoid the items that are being tossed out the windows of the complex. I narrowly avoid being smothered in someone's falling clothing before I manage to get to the outskirts of the crowd. Looking around, I place Charis down on the side of the road.

"Charis," I say just loud enough for her to hear me, "whatever happens, stay here. Do you understand? Look at me," I command her. When I know I have her attention, I continue. "Everything is going to be okay. I promise. Just … if something does happen to me, or if I'm needed elsewhere to help, you stay right in this spot and _do not move_. Okay?"

Charis nods fearfully. "Yes, Bella," she replies shakily.

We watch in horrified fascination at the operation that is being conducted around us. Men and women are throwing belongings from each window, desperate to save their possessions from the blaze. Every now and then, a child is carefully tossed down to waiting arms by a parent. The children are always the priority.

A shout by an all-too-familiar voice fills the air. I look up in alarm as Lysander appears in one of the windows with two young children – no more than three years of age – beside him. I watch in admiration and pride as they're carefully brought down to the street below. The warm feelings quickly turn ice cold as I watch him take a few hacking coughs before his blond head vanishes from sight once more. I know I have to do something. No one else will, and there is no way I am letting him perish in the fire.

No. Not my Lysander. If he dies, I won't be able to keep living, myself.

"Charis, stay here. I'm going to get that dolt of a brother you have back. I won't be long, promise."

"Promise?"

"I haven't broken one yet, have I?" I try to force a grin, try to convince Charis I'm joking around with her, like there's nothing to worry about. Because there isn't.

With that, I'm off. Thoughts turn in my head as I run, my long brownish curls flying out behind me. What am I doing? My actions were practically unheard of. A woman doesn't save other people. A woman doesn't run into burning buildings. A woman isn't a hero. A woman chooses which way to fix her hair and what is for dinner that night.

Well, I decide as I hike my long skirts up past what is deemed to be publicly acceptable, perhaps society is wrong. Because I know I am right. I know it, somewhere deep within my heart. Somehow, I know I am doing the right thing.

I rudely push past the people that crowd the door. I keep my head down, hoping no one will recognize me and call attention to it. I don't want to shame my parents in taking this risk. While my parents aren't as orthodox as the majority of Athens, something this out of line would definitely displease them. Not to mention the comments they would receive from the other citizens. It would be easier if I am just not recognized.

I race into the building, climbing up the set of stairs I had descended with Charis just minutes before. The smoke burns my lungs and stings my eyes once more. Desperate for cleaner air, I tug the top of my dress up to cover my nose and mouth. It helps a little, but I still need to make this quick.

When I reach the place I could have sworn I had last seen Lysander, I look about desperately. My smoke-filled eyes scan the room once. Twice. Three times. Four. I am losing hope on the fifth sweep, but I see him- a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye. I turn, and there he is. He sags against a part of the wall that has not yet burnt, trying to keep himself upright as he stumbles toward the exit. He is hacking terribly, something I had missed over the roaring blaze of the fire.

"LYSANDER!" I scream with all the air I still have left in my lungs. His beautiful chocolate brown eyes lock with mine, and my stomach lurches as I see the fear he holds within them. Lysander is never scared. He glances fearfully up at the ceiling, and at that moment I hear an ominous crack.

No, I think. No, this can't be happening. Not to me, not to us. "Lysander," I call again, this time a little softer. My voice betrays all the pain I'm in at seeing what looks to be the end. It wavers and cracks with the feelings I have been forced to leave unsaid over the years. It's a hello and a goodbye and a 'haven't the times been great?' It's a promise kept and a promise broken and a promise never made.

"Come on Lysander, we're gonna get you out of here. We're both gonna live. Together, like always. Lysander, please. I promised Charis. I never break my promises." There's a pleading in my voice, covered by the ruse of a confident urging.

"Abellona." It's a whisper, but I hear it. He stumbles forward, trying to make it to the exit. I run forward myself, trying to make it to him so I can assist. We almost make it, too.

One more crack, and a large flaming rafter falls between us. Seconds later, another follows. Fire. Burning. Pain. A scream- whether it is mine or his, I will never know. Seconds of fiery hot agony … and then blissful unconscious blackness.

_The first thing I can remember is pain._

But now, oddly enough, I felt none.

The fire raged on around me, yet I felt as if it did not affect me at all. The air was full of more smoke than air- I shouldn't have been able to breathe, and yet I wasn't having any issues. My lungs and eyes, though they had been affected before, now felt as if I had been breathing fresh air this entire time.

Lysander, I remembered. I screamed his name once more, but there was no response. There was another cracking noise, and another flaming portion of the building fell. It landed so close to me that I should have been charred, but I felt nothing past the breeze it generated. Curious at this anomaly, I reached out to the flames. Nothing. It was warm, but not scalding. Biting my tongue, I gingerly stuck my hand into the flame.

It tickled. The flame tickled, and felt rather like water flowing around my hand. I quickly jerked it back, my mouth opening and closing pointlessly as I tried to make sense of what was happening.

I was dead. There was no other explanation. I had died, and Hades had rejected me. What had I done wrong? Was it punishment for doing something beyond what was expected of women? For going beyond my place in society?

I was only of sixteen years. I wasn't supposed to die, not yet!

A soft groan distracted me from my troubling thoughts, and my senses honed in to one thing and one thing only. Lysander.

I tried walking through the beam that stood between us only to learn that ghosts couldn't actually walk through things. Interesting. Instead, I vaulted over it like I had seen the boys of the city leap over fences. I felt the tickling sensation once more as I planted my hands in the middle of the flames to assist my leap. I landed on the other side and stopped short.

Lysander lay, burnt and nearing the brink of exhaustion, against what little bit of wall there was left. His face was charred and smeared with soot and ash, yet he was still beautiful. Gods, he was beautiful.

I couldn't stop the tears welling up in my eyes, instead letting them spill over at the state my best friend was in. I ran over, ignoring the flames and the smoke lapping harmlessly at my clothing and skin.

"Lysander, oh, Lysander," I murmured as I came to kneel beside him. "Come on, get up. It's too late for me. It's too late. But you, you could be so much more. Get up Lysander, please. Charis needs you. _I _need you to live. I can't have sacrificed everything to get nothing in return! It doesn't work that way- Lysander! Open your eyes – look at me – please! You need to get up!"

I went to tug on his arm, but my hands went straight through him. I sobbed loudly as I realized he couldn't see me, couldn't hear me … and that I'd never be able to feel him again. I kneeled in front of him, my head bowed as great convulsions wracked their way through my body as I sobbed.

"Lysander …"

"Abellona …" A labored breath escaped as his lips formed my name. I looked up in surprise, my vision blurred by my tears. Had he heard me?

"… I'm sorry. I got you killed. It's my fault, I'm so sorry," he murmured, "for everything."

I wanted to slap him. I wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault, it was my own. He was just doing what he was supposed to do. I wanted there to be a way to cry harder, because what I was doing now wasn't enough to express the magnitude of the hurt I was in.

He continued to murmur as his breathing became more labored. He apologized to Charis, his mother, his father. He prayed to the Gods for a peaceful afterlife. Never once did he beg or plead or attempt to bargain.

As the light faded from his eyes, I couldn't hold back any more. I leaned forward, cupping the side of his face as well as I could. I looked deep into his eyes, still beautiful even as he lay dying. As the tears ran down my face, I leaned in and did the one thing I had wanted to do for the past four years.

I kissed him. There was no pressure as I placed my lips against his bluing ones, but I could pretend. Oh, how I could pretend. I had loved him for the past four years, since I was twelve and he was thirteen and we had started to notice such things. For four years I kept it hidden away beneath the surface, knowing that my father would just arrange a marriage for me, most likely he already had. For four years I'd had feelings for him and his serious way of looking at life, with nothing more than friendship and teasing remarks in return. But now- none of that mattered.

"Abellona …" he said as the last remnants of breath escaped his lips. His eyes focused suddenly, as if for one second he could see me there in front of him. His eyes searched mine desperately and I smiled despite my tears. Oh, how I could pretend.

"I love you," I whispered, and the light faded from his eyes as they closed for the last time.

Bawling both uncontrollably and uncaringly, I moved so I could curl up into his side as much as I could without falling through him. I hugged my knees as the tears fell down my face, creating little rivers of salt water.

How long I stayed there, I do not know.

I was so out of sync with the rest of the world that I sat there among the flames for the rest of the day. When the fire had encroached upon the place where I sat with Lysander, I got so furious with it that I blasted it back, forming a perfect charred semicircle around our feet. I didn't know how I did it, nor did I really register what I had done. After that, I slid back into my comatose state for who knows how long.

When I returned to the real world again, the moon shone brightly though the open ceiling of the collapsed building. A faint whispering filled the back of my head, and I looked up into the white light and deep blue sky- the first color other than shades of brown or orange I had seen in what seemed like eternity. The moon hung in the sky as a full white circle. The light shone down on the two of us like a spotlight, glinting off the blond of Lysander's hair. I cursed Artemis for allowing the moon to be so beautiful on a night that was anything but.

Beside me, something glowing gold in Lysander's pocket caught my attention. The whispering in the back of my head urged me to take it. I tentatively stuck my hand in between the folds of the fabric, and it closed around a small coin- the drachma he carried to pay his way across the River Styx in the Underworld.

"I can't take it," I whispered to no one. I couldn't. I wouldn't. I wouldn't leave him stranded on the banks of the Styx when he deserved a place in Elysium for all he had done.

The voice in my head insisted, promising that Lysander would be all right. Despite the fact it went against all my beliefs, I found my fingers closing around the small coin.

I drew it out of the fabric, opening my hand as I brought it toward me. The thing glowed a bright gold, though it dimmed slightly as I gazed upon it. As I watched, it grew until it was about the size of my palm before shrinking back down to its previous size.

"How?" I asked to no one in particular. My voice cracked as I brought it above a whisper for the first time in hours. Silently, I willed the thing to grow again. Although this time I was controlling its change, I still couldn't believe it. Everything just seemed so surreal. The apartment fire, my death, my coming back as a ghost, watching Lysander die, and now this.

I shrunk the drachma back down to its normal size and held it tight within my fist. I wasn't going to be able to sit with Lysander for the rest of eternity, I knew that, but I could keep this one last reminder of him always.

I took a deep breath and finally – reluctantly – moved from my position next to Lysander. I stood shakily, keeping my gaze locked on the luminescent orb above me. Somewhere along the line, I had connected the voice in my head with the celestial body. Now, I listened to what it had to say. I was lost, confused, and had nowhere to go.

_I listened to the moon, and it guided me._


	2. 1: 2,500 Years Later

_I didn't have an author's note on the first one. I'm gonna pretend it's because I just wanted you to have the story, and not because I forgot …_

_Anywho, I've started this new story when I have a billion others to write. But this one is going relatively quickly, so this is good. I watched ROTG a few weeks ago, and just got into the fanfiction part of it … and was rather irritated with what was there (no offense if other ROTG authors are reading this). So I wrote this. _

_Co-written and beta'd by the lovely _abitofslytherin_. Honestly, half the concept details of this came from her. So yeah. Enjoy!_

* * *

Approximately 2,500 years later …

**Lithia Summers**

Lounging in the palm tree that I had claimed as my perch a few hours earlier, I flipped the drachma idly through my fingers- a skill I had well perfected over the centuries. As the small coin rolled down my index finger, I tossed it upwards and caught it on the tip of my pinky. It balanced there for a few seconds before it rolled down into my palm. I closed my fingers around it and threw it up in the air a few feet before deftly catching it between my middle and ring fingers.

Looking around the beaches of Honolulu, Hawaii, I found a promising prospect. Expanding the coin to the size of a Frisbee, I neatly tossed it from my fingers, sending it sailing across the white sand. I smiled when it hit its target, knocking a bikini-clad young lady into one of the surfers returning from the water. I smiled wistfully as the drachma reappeared in my hand, watching the scene unfold in front of me.

I turned my face to the sun after a few moments, tossing my unruly fire-red hair away from my face. After over two millennia, I could finally smile as I remembered Athens. My fingers fondled Lysander's coin, still as bright and shiny as the day it had come into my possession. It had served me well over the years, and I like to think that its owner would have been proud.

I hadn't stayed in Greece much past that day. I had returned to check on Charis, and I had done so many more times throughout the rest of her life. After she had grown older and eventually passed away, there was nothing left tethering me to the ancient world. My parents had long since passed, and there was no Lysander, not anymore. Not there, anyway. I like to think that he had been invited into Elysium, and thus lived out his afterlife quite happily. I had since stopped worrying about the fact that I had taken his coin.

The voice in my head had spoken to me only once more after that night. Several centuries later, the spirit I had come to call _Fengári_ had told me that there were others like me. Other 'guardians,' as he had told me. I wasn't completely alone, and that in itself was a relief. But that was all he said. I had pleaded, almost begged with him to give me more- to give me something else to go on. But it had remained silent.

It wasn't a bad life, if one didn't mind solitude and immortality. On that first night, _Fengári_ had told me that I had become the personification of summer, light, and warmth.

The moon had told me my name was Lithia.

I never went by the name of Abellona again.

The children loved me as they were let out of school for the year. The joy on their faces reminded me of how Charis used to get whenever Lysander and I would take her out around Athens. It was priceless, and it made living with the pain bearable.

The older teenagers and young adults were the ones I loved the most though. Summer was a time for romance and happiness, those feelings that I never really got to experience for myself while I was living. The face of a man or woman falling in love was the most precious thing one could ever hope to see, and I helped to make that happen.

It's a blessing and a curse, having lived for two and a half millennia. I've seen things I'd never imagined and seen things that have horrified me to the core. I've seen the birth of countries and the fates of said countries as well, including the downfall of my own. I've lived through every war, from the Peloponnesian wars to the fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. With so much violence and hatred in the world, one needs a bit of love and amusement to balance things out.

Leaping from my tree, I threw the drachma beneath my feet. It expanded rapidly so it was large enough to stand on, and I surfed the air down to where a young girl no older than seven was having trouble with her sandcastle. Jumping to the ground, I caught the coin in my hand and placed it back in my pocket as I knelt down beside the girl.

I carefully ran my hand across the wet sand she was using, making sure not to disturb it too much as the cold grains rubbed against my hand. As the girl played, I quietly changed the wet sand to the optimal mix of water and sand for such construction. Getting back to my feet, I ran and found a collection of shells and seaweed. Using my golden coin as a hovercraft to carry the stuff, I strategically placed it around where I knew the girl would find them later. There was still something missing, though.

Ah, right.

I spotted a few other kids digging in the sand a few yards down the beach. Walking over to them, I shifted their attention to the little girl building the castle. It wasn't long before the three of them had made new friends and were working together on their project. I stood over the girl's shoulder, watching them work. Satisfied with my own work, I ran my hand through the girl's dark brown hair, ruffling it a little bit.

It was the only part of a human being I could touch.

I walked a few steps away from the group before I took off running toward the water. As I sprinted, I tossed the drachma in front of me. It grew a few yards ahead and I leaped onto it, my momentum sending it flying forward across the water. I rode low, catching the saltwater spray in my face. Leaning over, I trailed my fingers through the foam-tipped caps of the waves. The end of my dress flared out behind me, snapping in the crisp ocean breeze.

I didn't need the drachma to fly, but I had found that surfing the air was so much more fun. The feeling of tilting the board just right to get it to go in the direction I wanted, the force that pushed me down onto the board as I made a really sharp turn. It was exhilarating.

I looped the loop up into the sky before crashing back down through the water. Banking hard, I did a one-eighty degree spin and turned to face the beach from whence I'd just come.

Yes, I decided, there were some days I was glad I had perished in that fire. It had its ups and downs, but I was significantly happier here on the beaches of Hawaii than I ever had been or would have been in Greece.

As I faced the shoreline, the wind whipped against my back. My wild red curls blew into my face, and I was constantly moving to tuck them behind my ears. I loved what the change had done to my appearance. The first time I looked in a mirror, nearly a week after the fire, I had stepped back in surprise. Gone were the pale skin and the hazel eyes and soft brown curls. This girl had an even bronze than, piercing amber eyes and gravity-defying bright red curly hair. I loved it. I loved the difference. It had made me feel as if I was a completely new person. It had allowed me to move on with my second life.

Grinning maniacally with my tongue just prodding my top teeth, I took off. I summoned a gigantic wave behind me and dropped down so that I was actually surfing the water. I rode the inside of the curve, swishing back and forth and causing spray to go everywhere. I laughed aloud as my killer wave knocked out a few unsuspecting amateur surfers. Just before the wave broke on the shore, I zoomed out from underneath it, climbing high into the sky. It was there that I finally stopped moving.

I let the golden drachma hover about forty feet above the ground. I jumped a little, landing with my behind on the golden metal and my legs dangling off the side. From there, I calmed down from my high as I watched the beachgoers beneath me.

It was here that I felt most true to myself, alone and cut off from the rest of the world. Just watching to see what everyone would do next.

I smiled as a soft chirping sounded over my shoulder. I held out my finger, and a small golden bird landed on the offered perch. The Golden Palm Weaver had been a gift from the moon, centuries ago when I was feeling so down that I couldn't go on. The little bird had been gifted with immortality, just as I had been, and had also been given a higher intelligence. She was my best friend- my only friend.

She and I could understand each other, even though neither of us actually knew what the other was saying. It was safe to say that the little golden ball of feathers had saved my life. There had been times that I had considered attempting to die a second time, though I knew that was impossible, but she had brought me back from the edge of the precipice.

I named her Charis.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere up in the Arctic Circle …

**Jack Frost**

It was safe to say that Jack Frost, winter trickster king, was actually bored. It wasn't that it was an unusual feeling for him. In his three hundred years since waking up on the lake, he had partaken in his fair share of boredom. But after the events of early spring 2012, boredom had begun to seem more … boring.

At least then, he didn't have anything else to really compare it to.

But fighting Pitch and saving the world had been a rush of adrenaline. Actually being needed for once had made him feel important for the first time in those three hundred years. Fighting for his existence alongside _friends_ had been the most fun he'd had in forever. Plus there had been the additional bonus of finally figuring out who he was.

But this wasn't 2012. There was no threat. There hadn't been for the past five years. This was 2017, and everything was about as routine as routine could get.

He had gotten bored of playing around in his sandbox of Antarctica. There are only so many ice sculptures one can make before he fills up the square mileage of the most desolate continent on Earth. He has more fun tearing them all down in the end, before the mortals' instruments and devices found the anomalies in the supposedly uninhabited ice. That had quickly gotten old, especially since he had begun to enjoy the other Guardians' company.

Thus, for the past three summers, Jack had returned to North's workshop in the Arctic, the unofficial Guardian Headquarters. It wasn't like he really had anywhere else to go. Tooth had her fairy hideout, Bunnymund had his tunnels and Easter egg facility. Sandy had his golden dreamdust cloud. North had his factory with his toy-building Yetis and his less-than-helpful elves.

But Jack? Jack had nothing, save for his staff. It hadn't mattered before; he had been quite happy roaming the Earth as a nomad. And sometimes he still did, but now that more and more children believed in him, he couldn't just walk out into the street anymore. So here he was, bumming off North's hospitality and playing Egyptian Ratscrew and Crazy Eights with the Yetis.

… Which would be one thing if he could actually win a game. It was a completely different story after losing straight games for the past two months. He hadn't expected that the Yetis would be so good at cards. It made him thankful he hadn't taught them Poker or Blackjack.

Jack groaned in irritation as he threw his remaining cards down, having just lost for the 147th time in a row. He ran his hands through his white hair, tugging it at the ends. He blinked slowly, clearing his eyes of the haze that seemed to have fallen over his vision. When the Yeti asked him if he wanted to play again, he hastily turned the offer down.

Grabbing his staff, he nimbly leapt to his feet. He was gripped with the overwhelming desire to cause some sort of trouble, but held it back. The one condition that allowed him to stay at the factory was that he controlled his mischievous antics. One prank and he was out for the rest of the year. He had, unfortunately, learned that the hard way.

On the bright side, he thought to himself as he wandered over to the window looking over the tundra, winter was almost here. The air was already becoming crisper down in the temperate area, and the kids had gone back to school a couple weeks before. Jamie had been worrying about entering the high school the last time Jack had gone down to visit.

His mind made up, Jack leapt out the open window, summoning the wind to help him on his way. He would go down to visit Jamie and Sophie. It had been a while since he had last been to Massachusetts, and he was anxious to go back.

As he tumbled though the air, his mind turned back toward his friends in New England. Although they had grown up in the five years that had passed, the group of kids that had helped them to defeat pitch had never stopped believing. Jamie and Jack had grown closer as the kid grew up. Jamie was now fourteen, only two years younger than Jack's physical age of sixteen. Sophie had just had her tenth birthday, making her a little older than Jamie had been when they first met.

Jack knew that someday he would have to leave them, that someday they would grow too old. That they'd find other people, start families of their own. That he would then be having fun with their children, and their grandchildren after that. Luckily, that wasn't going to be for years from now.

It was a while longer before he came in sight of Burgess, Massachusetts. When he entered the town, he immediately turned in the path he had memorized toward the Bennett house. The time was around four pm, so Jamie and Sophie would be home from school by now. Jack slowed up as he came to his friend's window, rapping lightly on the glass.

Jamie, who had been sitting doing his homework, immediately turned toward the window with a grin on his face. His long brown hair flopped into his eyes, and it was obvious that he was thrilled to see the youngest Guardian. He abandoned his homework, dropping his pencil on his page of geometry problems. Proofs could wait.

He quickly crossed his room and unlocked the window, allowing Jack to blow into the room with a chilly tailwind. When he turned around, he saw that his friend had already made himself comfortable on the bed. The temperature of the room had dropped a palpable few degrees as well.

Jack regarded his friend, cataloguing the changes that had been made over the summer months. The sun had lightened his hair a bit, giving him a few natural highlights. The sun had brought out freckles against his tanned skin. He had also shot up like a weed and filled out a bit. Stature-wise, he was now a little larger than Jack.

The Guardian, however, still saw him as the little nine-year-old kid that had helped him to defeat Pitch.

"Hey, kid," Jack called affectionately from where he was parked on the bed. His staff was propped on the wall to the right, where a layer of frost had formed at the place it touched the wood.

"Jack," Jamie said, "I'm nearly fifteen. I'm not a kid anymore." Sighing, he took a seat at the end of the bed as Jack drew up his legs.

"You forget that I'm three hundred years older than you," Jack replied with a raised eyebrow. "To me, everyone's 'kid.'"

The two boys stared each other down for a few seconds before bursting into laughter, Jamie quickly stifling his as not to alert his mother. He was supposed to be doing geometry proofs, and those were certainly not funny. The two teens took a minute or so more before they actually began talking again.

"So, how have you been Jamie?" Jack asked, leaning forward. "Is high school as bad as you thought it would be?" He was genuinely curious, having never actually gone to school before. He'd seen it though, and he couldn't say he felt he was missing out on anything. The kids usually looked miserable.

"I go by James now," he automatically corrected the Guardian, "and actually …" he ducked his head, unable to keep a bit of color from entering his cheeks. "It isn't all that bad."

"James? When did this happen?" Jack enquired, unable to keep the surprise off his face.

"When I entered high school," Jamie – James – replied. "You know, how they call role call the first day and ask you if you have a nickname you'd rather be called by? Well, this year I didn't correct them."

Jack sighed. "You're growing up, Jamie."

James snorted. "Obviously not- I'm still talking to you, aren't I?"

The Guardian tilted his head in concession. "True enough," he said, a small smirk growing on his face. "How's the rest of the gang?"

James shrugged. "We haven't hung out as much this year. We're still all really good friends – we text regularly – but we've been pulled in different directions. Different classes and all that."

"And Sophie?"

"She's fantastic, man. You should see some of the work she's done. I'd have thought someone our age did it if I didn't know better. Here, check this out." James pulled a small scroll from the table beside his bed and handed it to Jack, who unrolled it.

The immortal examined it, outwardly impressed by the ten-year-old's artwork. The painting had obviously been inspired by her trip to Bunnymund's warren when she was four, but it wasn't the warren itself. The watercolors blended together, forming a fantastical scene of a green landscape adorned by patches of color. There was a lake in the corner, reflecting the colors of the pastel sunset.

"Is she here?" Jack asked, hoping that he could compliment her on her latest work. Sophie held a soft spot in each of the Guardians' hearts. Both of the Bennett children did.

James shook his head. "She's at a friend's house for a sleepover tonight. She reminded me to give this to you, though, so you could give it to Bunnymund. She's reminded me to do so for the past three weeks or so, ever since it's started to get colder."

Jack nodded and took the paper. "I'll make sure it gets to him safely." He was going to say more, but at that moment, a loud buzzing sound filled the air. Looking over, he saw that it was James' phone on the nightstand beside him. Grinning evilly, he snatched the cell up before Jamie could get to it.

"Give it," James said, holding his hand out for the device. Jack could hear the undertone of desperation in his voice and immediately took note.

He instead held it even further away from his friend, smirking like a madman. "Someone important, is it?" He asked, "You seem to know exactly who it is. Let's see," he said with a hum. "Lisa Clark? A girl not among your little group of friends?" He raised his eyebrow as he watched his friend's face flush hot. "Does Jamie have a girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend," the fourteen-year-old muttered, rather unconvincingly.

"But you want her to be," Jack prodded.

"Shut up!" James protested. "Please just give me the phone, Frost?"

"Oh, breaking out the last names, are we, Bennett? Fine. I'll give it back, but only after you tell me the story behind all this." He tossed the phone tauntingly up in the air, flipping it before catching it again.

"Seriously? Haven't you ever liked someone before?"

"So you DO like her!" Jack crowed.

James groaned.

"And no. No, I haven't. I'm immortal, Jamie. It doesn't really equate to good relationships. 'Oh yea, I'm just gonna watch you grow old and die while I'm never gonna look a day older than sixteen. Sorry.'"

"You're just being cynical."

"Says the boy in love," Jack countered. "Believe me, Jamie. I've seen it happen. There's no such thing as young love, at least it's very rate. You'd be best to wait a few more years," he advised, "but as long as you're happy, it's good. Now, is she cute? How did you meet?"

Jamie flushed even more. "She's cute," he admitted. "I met her in the park. She had dropped the paper she was carrying right ahead of me so I stopped to help. That was earlier this summer. Then, I see her again in my English class the first day of school. We got to talking and … yeah." He ended his short monologue by looking at his hands.

"Actually …" he began again, "there was something I was meaning to ask you. Just how many Guardians are there?"

Jack was confused. "Only the five of us," he said. "North, Tooth, Bunnymund, Sandy, and me. Why do you ask?"

Well, James replied, "I saw someone else that day. I think. I didn't actually see them. It's just … before Lisa dropped her papers, I could have sworn I'd seen a flash of gold knock them out of her hand. When I looked to see where it came from, I thought I saw someone sitting in the tree. And then she was gone. Poof"

Jack shrugged. "She probably just fell out."

"But there was no sound. And no evidence that someone had been there when I went back to check."

The white haired boy tossed the phone back to his friend. "You're just seeing things after what happened with Pitch," he said, brushing it off.

"After five years? I don't think so …"

* * *

_Reviews are appreciated by every author, myself included. All reviews are also forwarded by me to _abitofslytherin_ :)_


	3. 2: -hashtag-California Problems

_Another week, another update. Thank you all for your reviews. _abitofslytherin_ and I are working hard on the rest of the series, even if I am stuck a bit on chapter five right now._

_Please appreciate the cover photo. It's a drawing of Lithia done by my wonderful friend … whose ffn username I have forgotten. I shall get back to you on that later (sorry).I freaked when I first saw it, myself._

_So yeah. Next chapter- enjoy! I hope it all works out to your approval._

* * *

**Lithia Summers**

I had spent a day or two longer in Hawaii before I moved on. I try not to spend too long in one place, lest I start to develop memories. Memories are dangerous. Memories can make you long for something you know you can never have again. When you've lived for as long as I have, you can't afford to live in the past.

And so I move on.

I skimmed across the Pacific Ocean tides on my golden coin, performing my favorite maneuvers for an amused Charis. She tweeted merrily as she flew along beside me, the ocean mist catching in her feathers as it hit me in the face. We were headed for the golden shores of California, where we would stay for a bit before heading over to Okinawa, Japan. It had been a while since we'd been to Okinawa, and I was excited to be going back. I had adopted Okinawa and Hawaii as my two favorite places to spend my time, but I had to make sure to visit the other portions of Earth as well.

It wouldn't be good if the world fell into climatic disarray because of personal preference.

I left the water to leap into the air, where I sent myself into a tight corkscrew. My hair whipped out behind me, the curls hitting my back as I spun. When I straightened out again, Charis landed softly on my shoulder. She wasn't a sea bird- she had lived in Africa before Fengári had led her to me. I had been in Egypt at the time, on the verge of a breakdown by the Nile River. The celestial spirit had led her up the east coast of Africa from Tanzania, granting her immortality and heightened strength and intelligence.

I can honestly say that was the best day of my life.

But even with her heightened strength, she still couldn't fly forever. On our sea trips, she would alternate from sitting on my shoulder to fluttering around me. She was the most adorable little thing, and she knew it.

Slowing down gently until we were more coasting than zipping along the water, I grew the drachma to be the size of a small raft. I shifted my body so that I was sitting on the golden expanse, then again so I was lying down. The sun was fading from the sky, and the reds and pinks of the sunset made me wish I had a camera with me.

There were only two problems with that: One, pictures meant memories- the one thing I avoided like the plague (and I lived through the plague, so I know what I'm talking about). Two, I'd learned over the years that technology and magic didn't mix all that well together- J.K. Rowling had gotten that part right, at least.

All the same, it was quite relaxing. I let out a loud sigh and rolled over onto my back. Charis cheeped in indignation and fluttered so that she landed on my chest, fixing one of her little bird eyes on me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to her, picking up my head a bit so that I could see her straight. She shifted a wing, which I took to mean that she accepted my apology. My lips twisted in a smile as I lay back down to watch the sunset once more. Sure, I could have been in California by now, but I had all the time in the world. Why would I rush when I didn't need to?

Of course, as night fell, so did the temperature. It wasn't long before Charis was snuggling into me in order to claim some of the heat I was producing. I rubbed my hands together, trying not to disturb her any more than I had to. As I did so, the head grew in my hands. They glowed a soft golden hue beneath my tanned skin, illuminating the few feet around the two of us. I carefully took Charis in between them, providing her with the heat she was looking for. I raised the temperature of the rest of my body a few degrees as well, compensating for the drop in the air temperature.

I sat that way for hours, keeping a silent vigil well into the night. The twinkle of stars in the deep indigo sky above me was calming, the ocean breeze blowing through my hair almost hypnotic. The soft golden glow of my hands was soothing, and I slowly lost myself in the moment. All of my bad memories and worst fears just faded away as I slipped into a state of unconsciousness. They would return in the morning, but for the time being I experienced a rare moment of self-peace.

My sleep didn't last nearly as long as I hoped it would, however. A couple hours before dawn, I woke to Charis tugging urgently at my bangs. Disoriented a moment, I wondered where I was. I didn't remember falling asleep. Within seconds, I managed to regain my bearings. I was then confused at why Charis had woken me at such a time.

"What is it, girl?" I asked, running a hand through my hair to brush it away from my face. Charis cheeped impatiently, almost distressed. I stood as she darted away before flying back a few times, clearly wishing for me to follow her. I did so, shrinking my drachma back down to surfboard-size. It wasn't long before I was zooming toward the Californian coastline, which had come into sight during the hours I had been unconscious.

When I was a mile out, I knew something was wrong. The air felt cold and the world felt dark. I raised the temperature around us a few degrees, and Charis came back to land on my shoulder. I could feel her shivering against my skin. I doubled my pace, hurtling toward the beach at breakneck speeds.

I nearly fell at the sight I was faced with. The beaches of southern California were white. Not white as in white sand, but white as in white _snow_. In California.

Snow. In _California._

_Snow. In California._

"_Theoí mou,"_ I muttered to myself. My Gods.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Someone was out there screwing with the weather, and by the looks of it, I had a pretty strong idea about who it was. I clenched my fist in anger, trying my best to control my fury. I could feel my eye twitching as I reined in my rather … fiery … temper. Things tended to get ugly when I got angry. Rather like the Hulk from that Marvel series.

But rather more destructive.

And boy was I angry now. It was directed mostly at that young upstart, the only one that could have caused such a disaster. I took a deep breath before moving forward so that I was now over the land instead of the ocean. I jumped off the golden disk and caught it in my hand as it shrunk. I stepped gingerly across the beach, melting the snow where I stepped. If one looked behind me, they would see a perfect set of ovular holes melted into the snow, straight down to the sand beneath.

I wandered a little way down the beach, taking the sight in around me. Enough, I told myself. I needed to stop procrastinating. I had a few hours till dawn, and one gigantic mess to clean up. I needed to get cracking.

I threw the coin down again, where it immediately swelled to its previous size. I leapt onto it and shot up into the sky. Charis few after me, but I couldn't stop to wait for her. Seconds later, I had reached altitudes that I had rarely flown to before, and was once again stunned by the disaster around me. I had known that there was no way this phenomenon was natural, but this cemented it.

It hadn't been an isolated storm. An even layer of snow covered every square inch of the land, stretching as far as I could see, which was a few state borders off. I took a deep breath and rubbed my hands together as I had done previously that night, though rather more rigorously. Within moments I had generated a large amount of heat within my hands. I clapped my wrists together, holding my hands apart like some comic book characters did when using destructive light beams. While mine wasn't destructive, it was basically the same idea. Taking a deep breath, I dispelled the heat into the atmosphere around me. I could see the heat as a dim golden glow, but I knew the mortals could not.

I watched as the snow began to melt and the vegetation perked up again as if nothing had happened. I looked over to the side, where Charis was now hovering beside me.

"_Écho̱ pollí̱ douleiá na kánoume,_" I muttered under my breath. I had a lot of work to do if I wanted to get this cleared up before the majority of the mortal population realized something was wrong.

* * *

**Jack Frost**

Things had still been very much the same when Jack returned to the north after a few hours with Jamie. On the other hand, he actually won a few games of Snap. He suspected, however, that it was only because his reflexes were faster than those of the furry creatures'. And surprisingly, his victory didn't feel as good as it should have.

A couple days later, he had set about to pacing the room once again. He supposed he could return to the Himalayas and take his destructive urges out on a few avalanches again. He could go down to the southern tip of Chile, which was so close to Antarctica it usually had at least a little snow in the higher elevations.

But he didn't feel like it.

He just wanted summer to be over with already so that he could go out and have some fun.

So caught up in his own thoughts, he jumped about a mile when he heard a familiar Australian drawl over his shoulder. When he spun around, he found himself facing the four other guardians. He tried not to flush as he realized they were all looking quite amusedly at him.

"Wh- what?" He asked, "When did you guys get here?"

"I live here," North reminded him.

"But … but Tooth! Sandy! Cottontail!"

"Oi, watch it mate. I can still pound you," the offended Australian threatened.

Jack just looked between them all. The last time they had all been in the same place like this was when Pitch had made his comeback. For everyone to be here, something serious must have occurred. And … they were all _looking_ at him oddly. Was there something on him? He suppressed the urge to glance down at his sweatshirt or run his hand through his hair.

"What?" He asked again, in a slightly more offended tone.

"Well," North began, "there is little problem." He stretched out the 'little' in his accent. _Leetle_.

"Yeah?" Jack asked, still slightly perturbed, "What is it?"

"Jack," Tooth broke in urgently, zooming up to him, "Did you dump two feet of snow on the entirety of the United States yesterday?"

"Wait … what? No, of course not! I went to see Jamie a few days ago, but that's it!" He didn't understand. Why had they immediately blamed him? Sure, he was irresponsible, but he wasn't _that_ irresponsible. He wasn't _stupid_.

Tooth visibly relaxed, casting him a glance that he couldn't understand. She turned back to the other Guardians, giving him no time to try to interpret it. "He's not lying. It wasn't him," she pronounced.

The other Guardians started muttering to themselves, and Jack could only try to follow the golden apparitions above Sandy's head. Unfortunately, they flew by so fast it was hard to make heads or tails of them. He smiled slightly as Baby Tooth left Tooth's side to come hover in front of his face. Although the little fairy had been required to return to work, she and the winter spirit still maintained a close relationship. The feathered creature settled on his shoulder, joining him in watching the other Guardians squabble amongst themselves.

At last, he got tired of being left out of the loop. "Hold it, hold it," he finally broke out. Stepping forward and shaking his head, his hands were outstretched a bit in the universal 'calm down' gesture.

"Chill," he said, smirking at his own pun.

The others broke off their arguments, turning to face the youngest Guardian. Jack glanced between them, taking note of the worry on their faces.

"Will someone please just tell me what's going on?" he asked pleadingly, "Obviously something's happened, and it was something that caused you to think it was my fault. I think I deserve to know."

A series of images popped up above Sandy's head, agreeing with Jack. North looked between Tooth and Bunnymund, who both nodded their agreement as well. Taking a deep breath, the man behind the Santa stories began to speak.

"We apologize, Jack, but we could not be sure," he began. "You have been antsy for years now, and you do still hold record on the naughty list …"

"Yes, but what _happened_? I accept the apology- heck, even I would have accused myself if I knew what the problem was! Wait …" he stopped, suddenly remembering what Tooth had said. "It snowed, right?"

Bunnymund rolled his eyes in a 'no dip, Sherlock' expression. "The entire United States, from Maine to Hawaii, and a good lot o' it too! Nigh on two feet overnight!"

Jack felt a grin spread across his face. "Really? That's great! Yes!" he crowed, clenching a fist. He quickly schooled himself as the others looked at him skeptically. "Uhm, I mean … that's terrible. It's only mid-October …"

The Easter bunny sighed in exasperation. "And this is why we wouldn't have been surprised if it was you," he muttered. Louder, he continued. "You're missing the point. We're talking the _entire_ United States, pal. Two feet of snow in California!"

"It wasn't me! You've got to believe me! You can even ask the Yetis … I've been losing at cards to them for the past few days! They'd be happy to tell you."

"We believe you Jack," Tooth jumped in quickly, flying towards him once more before stopping. "We just have to figure out what happened."

Jack smiled oddly at his friend as Baby Tooth shifted on his shoulder. There was still something weird there that he didn't know how to deal with. "Are you sure it wasn't just the weather? It could have been a freak storm like the one of October 2011 in New England," he suggested, but quickly trailed off.

Who was he kidding? That had been his work, through and through. Plus that was not on the same scale as this nationwide disaster. He immediately regretted his words, almost cringing as he wished he could take back what he had said.

"Okay, bad example," he conceded. "But still …"

"This no weather pattern," North told him, "this the work of evil power."

"Oh great, so I'm some evil power now," Jack said dramatically, still playing off the fact they had thought it was him. "Thanks guys. I can't even beat a Yeti at Go Fish!" His voice rose as he spoke. When he finished, he turned to look out the window once again.

"They cheat."

Jack spun back to North, this time so fast his sweatshirt cords whipped around. "What?" He asked in disbelief, "And you didn't tell me?"

North shrugged. "Ehn … this more fun, no?"

The winter spirit grumbled a bit, muttering to himself about uppity Guardians and furry cheaters. It took effort to keep a straight face, especially with Baby Tooth burrowing into the side of his neck. He didn't mind, not really. It wasn't like he had been losing anything other than his pride during those lengthy card matches. Still, the others had grown to expect such actions from him, and he always had fun delivering. Sure, he was over 300 years old, but he still enjoyed playing the temperamental teenager card.

"Now, as much as I love watching Jack get hit in the ego, we do have an issue here," Bunnymund pointed out.

This immediately sobered everyone up. Everything else was forgotten as the Guardians contemplated the recent happenings.

It hadn't been Jack- that had been established. It hadn't been the weather, either. To them it really left only one option, but that didn't make sense either. Their one nemesis, Pitch Black, had been defeated years before, and even if he hadn't been, this snowstorm didn't have the look of his work. There were no nightmares, only cold and snow that blanketed the country even in places it was physically impossible to.

The five of them were so deep in conversation that they didn't notice when a small sunshine-colored bird flew in through the open window. Jack also didn't notice when the tiny thing found a perch on the back of his hood.

He could only remember when he heard a harsh whisper behind him. That combined with the sudden rise in temperature caused him to jump, his heart pounding a million miles a minute. He let out a yelp, turning to face the thing that had startled him.

To his surprise, he was met with a pair of shocking amber eyes.

* * *

**Greek Translations:**

_Fengári – _moon

_Theoí mou _ – my gods

_Écho̱ pollí̱ douleiá na kánoume_ – I have a lot of work to do


	4. 3: Oops Well, here I am

_Here's another update. I have to admit, I'm somewhat disappointed. I've had over200 people read this story, but I've only gotten 9 reviews … if it wasn't for my burning desire to write this story, I probably wouldn't continue it for such little response. But I will keep writing, because I'm writing it more for me and _abitofslytherin_ than anything. _

_Oh yes, and cover photo credit goes to _roseacoco_. That's her ffn username._

* * *

**Lithia Summers**

It had taken me until dawn to clear the rest of the snow from where it wasn't supposed to be. I had returned to Hawaii after California, and then moved toward the east coast from there. It had been nearly six in the morning before I had removed the last of the snow from Florida, Georgia, and up in the Carolinas. There was no way I was going to do the entire United States. I had well and truly overexerted myself, and my hair was frazzled from the constant flow of power.

I had intended to fly north immediately, chew the culprit out, and then vanish back to Okinawa before anyone else noticed my presence. Unfortunately, nothing ever goes according to plan. Especially when it comes to my continued self-preservation and sanity.

First off, I fell asleep on the way up, crashing unconscious somewhere on the island of Newfoundland. When I came to, it was only to shift into a slightly more comfortable spot before nodding off again. Hours later, I finally woke up for good. My next problem was that my drachma had shrunk back to coin-size, and it was nearly impossible to find- it could have landed anywhere on my trajectory toward the ground. Charis was actually the one that had found it, in the end. I was shaky taking off, but I was soon on my way once more.

I arrived at the North Pole within the hour, the giant building rising up majestically from the snowy tundra. I flew as far aboveground as I could, careful not to melt a trail behind me. As I approached the icy building, I heard voices from within. I slowed down considerably, motioning for Charis to stay quiet. As gung-ho as I was to put Frost in his place, I had no intention of barreling in there with everyone else watching.

"Jack," I heard a female voice say, "Did you dump two feet of snow on the entirety of the United States yesterday?"

I slowed up even more. Obviously I hadn't been the only one that was suspicious of the winter spirit. I inched forward, stepping from my coin to land lightly on the windowsill. I sat on the little part that was to the edge of the opening so that no one could see me, but I would hear every word that was spoken. Charis remained on my shoulder but shifted anxiously, fixing me with a glare that seemed to say 'get in there.' I shook my head emphatically, instead turning back to listen to the conversation.

I had missed what the white-haired teen had said, tuning in when the female voice – Tooth, I remembered – announced he was innocent. I snorted derisively, chuckling softly as the room broke into audial chaos. Despite being the Guardians of Chaos, they really couldn't get along, could they? They sounded almost like children themselves, squabbling on the playground.

I quietly listened in on the rest of the conversation, shaking my head in amusement. There was something about these guys that just made me feel good. In my head, I knew I needed to get away from there as fast as possible. I had already created another memory, and I needed to go before it got worse- before I got attached. At the same time though … I wanted to stay. I just wanted to sit there forever, listening to those four voices arguing with each other. The different accents and personalities overlapped one another, creating a sort of harmonious cacophony.

But I couldn't do that. Not now, and not ever.

"Come, Charis. We're leaving. We need to find the actual culprit," I whispered to the bird. As I shifted to get up, she cheeped loudly in protest. "Shh, shh. Come on."

That's when things really took a downhill plunge. She chirped once again and instead of flying away from the building, she darted in through the window. "Charis!" I whispered loudly, but she didn't listen. Instead, I cringed as she perched on the back of Jack Frost's sweatshirt. She fixed me with a beady eye, as if daring me to get her back.

Okay, fine. If that was how she was going to play it, so be it. I stood my from my position on the sill, looking back at the circle I had melted around where I had been sitting. I hoped no one would notice it, and that the next snowstorm would cover it up. _Leave no traces_ was yet another one of my various self-preservation policies.

I pressed the drachma into the little holder necklace I had made for it, sighing as I heard it click into place. Taking a deep breath, I slid in through empty window, landing silently on my eyes widened at the size of the room and the décor. Despite having lived for nearly two and a half millennia, I had spent my time in Mortal areas. I had never been in a completely magical place like this. Shaking my head, I brought my attention back to the task at hand- getting Charis to come back. I motioned to her, showing that I had stepped into the room. It wasn't enough for her.

I tiptoed across the room, wincing and flinching back when I saw that the Sandman had noticed me. A large exclamation point appeared over his head as he tried getting the others' attention. He had no such luck, but I knew my time was limited.

I stepped closer, trying to hide behind the winter spirit as much as I could. "Charis!" I hissed, "_Éla!_" Come!

I immediately regretted it. I hadn't been quiet enough.

Jack let out a small, rather hilarious yelp. He whipped around, and I found myself staring into the icy blue of his eyes. They were wide with surprise, an emotion that I knew for certain showed on my own face. I glanced around the room, observing the startled and intrigued faces of the other Guardians.

"_Theoí mou,_" I squeaked, unable to stop myself. "Uhm … I'm sorry. I just … my bird … your hood …" What was I doing? Earlier I had intended to all but rip his throat out over messing with the weather patterns. Now, I was reduced to a stuttering mumbling mess.

"Who _are_ you?" Jack interrupted my babbling, suddenly leaning in closer to examine my face. I gulped nervously as I felt both him and the others scrutinizing me carefully. My eyes flicked toward the window, and my hand flew to where my drachma rested at my collarbone. I glared daggers at Charis, who was now fluttering behind Jack's head.

"Not of your concern," I shot back defensively, regaining a bit of my nerve. A thousand warning bells went off in my head, telling me to get out of there. I was more than willing to comply, but again- I couldn't quite do what I wanted.

I watched as Jack recoiled a little bit, most likely taken aback by my sharp tone. I couldn't bring myself to care any less. I had more important things on my mind at the moment.

North stepped forward, his large frame even more intimidating. "Another Guardian?" he asked, mostly to himself. "The Man in Moon did not say anything …"

I couldn't help myself. I snorted. "That sounds like Fengári," I muttered. "I'm not a Guardian," I said hastily, backing toward the window. "I shouldn't even be here. I just came to tell off a certain someone for _gami̱ménos_ with the weather patterns, but it seems it wasn't him after all," I said, fixing my eyes on the tall white-haired boy that was still staring at me in disbelief.

"It took me hours to sort out that mess. You can thank me later. Charis, _Éla!_ Now."

I had just popped my drachma out of its necklace once more, throwing it down to the floor. Instead of hovering, however, it fell to the wood with a hard clang.

"_Ti sto diáolo?_" I asked no one in particular, stunned. What the hell? It had never done that before … oh.

_Oh._

"_Theoí mou_," I said again for the third time in the last twenty-four hours. "_O̱ theoí gami̱méno mou_." I watched in horror as the gold was obscured by a purple so deep it was practically black. A thin layer of frost grew along the edge of the cold metal, adding an eerie blue-white to the mix. When I picked it up, I could feel the cold leeching into my skin. My face grim, I turned back toward the Guardians.

"I've just changed my mind," I said, tossing the coin up into the air. It glinted darkly against the light, and I smirked as the five Guardians watched it. I caught it again, and the spell was broken.

"I am a Guardian. Lithia Summers, at your service." I imitated a courtesan's bow, swooping down at the waist. "Guardian of summer, previously recognized as the goddess of the summer solstice, and this is my lovely golden basket weaver, Charis."

I nearly laughed at the looks on all their faces, especially Jack's as Charis landed on my shoulder. I fought to keep a straight face, and managed it pretty well.

"Thing is, you're gonna need my help."

* * *

**Jack Frost**

Jack was honestly quite stunned by this turn in events. Every morning for the past four years, he had been hoping for a change in pace of events. Now something had happened, something new and exciting and probably dangerous … and his mind was still trying to turn over the fact that there was yet another Guardian. A Guardian that said she wasn't a Guardian, that had introduced herself as a _goddess_ for God's sake. The enigmatic spirit looked more like fire and light than the wintery/early spring colors the others possessed.

What irritated him the most though was the way she had been dodging their questions. She had been a flighty little thing, obviously uncomfortable with her surroundings. That had quickly turned to sarcasm as she had attempted to throw up barriers. She had said she wasn't a Guardian. She obviously wasn't human, and he had a hard time understanding why she wanted to escape.

He had been trying for decades to get into the Workshop (okay, maybe with not-quite-so-honorable intentions, but still) only to be turned away and dragged out by the Yetis. Which …

"How the heck did you get in here?" He asked incredulously. He stepped toward the bronze-skinned spirit, motioning with his staff.

The girl merely fixed him with a look. "Through the window," she said, as if it were obvious. "It's wide open." Her red curls bounced as she shook her head to emphasize her point.

"But … the Yetis …" he protested weakly. "Seriously?" He asked, turning to face North, "I try to get in here for years and she just comes in through the window and it's alright?"

"Really?" The new voice cut in, "You're actually asking why you kept getting kicked out? It's not like you had a very good track record, _Paidí_."

"And how would you know? We don't even know who the heck you are! I have never seen you before in my _life_."

"Well, yeah. You're winter, I'm summer, the two don't usually coincide," she shot back. "It's not like I really _want_ to be here right now. I would be gone. I should be gone. I shouldn't even be here right now. But one mutual _echthrós_ of ours decided to _gamó̱ _with the _kairós _and dumped two feet of snow in California, Texas, and other hot-climate states. So here I am, thinking it was you and that I'd just chew you out and disappear again-"

"But it wasn't me!" Jack exclaimed, interrupting her sentence.

"I know that _now_," she snarked back.

"STOP IT!" Bunnymund's yell broke the building tension, and everyone in the room turned to look at him. Even the other Guardians, who until that point, had been watching the argument between the two immortal teens with great amusement.

Jack watched as the girl facing them sighed, glancing down at her hand. "Sorry," she apologized. "I haven't actually spoken with others for about a millennium at least. I'm a bit rusty with my social skills."

Well, that was one way of putting it, he thought. "No reason to take it out on me," he muttered.

"You mention needing your help? What for?" North asked, finally getting back to the ominous sounding warning that had been issued before Jack intervened.

The girl – Lithia, he remembered – strode forward, pointedly ignoring the glower he knew he had on his face. _He_ was used to being the antagonist, to being the one to get under everyone's skin. Now the tables had turned, he didn't appreciate it quite so much. As she passed, the ice on his sweatshirt melted under the heat before freezing again.

"_This_ is what for," she said, holding her hand out. Inside her palm rested a small quarter-sized coin. It was still a deep purple, with little ice shards clinging to the outside. The other Guardians formed a circle around her, looking curiously at the little object. Jack hung back, still a bit miffed.

Toothiana reached in as to touch it, but quickly drew her hand back. "It's freezing!" she exclaimed. Okay, so maybe that caught his attention a little bit. His chest twinged a bit at her outburst. It was one of those things he just couldn't help, despite his wishing that he could.

"I watched as five years ago, the five of you defeated Pitch Black and his _efiáltes_. Jackyboy over there joined with you after three hundred years of being an outcast-"

"Hey!"

"-and somehow provided you with what you needed to win. He was accepted into the circle, believed in, ladidahdidah, all that fun Guardian stuff," she continued as if she hadn't heard Jack's outcry. Despite the fact she tried to cover it, the slight bitterness in her words belied to the Guardians that she was somewhat resentful. "You thought you were done. For five years, there has been nothing. The last you saw of Pitch was his own nightmares chasing him down."

"How do you know what 'appened?" Bunnymund asked, somewhat hostilely. The question had been bothering Jack as well. He had never seen this girl before in his life, and yet she knew everything about him? And the other others?

"I was there," she said simply, like that really explained anything. "I have a history with Pitch, even more so than any of you guys. You think that Sandy was the first Guardian? Think again. I have a good five hundred years on him, at least. Pitch is even older than I am."

"The Bogeyman?" Tooth asked, "but … he only appeared in the late sixteen hundreds …"

Lithia sighed. "The Bogeyman, yes. That is a more recent farce of his. I must admit he has a sick sense of humor. But darkness itself? That's a much more ancient concept. Millennia ago, he was _Thánatos_, a minor Greek god of the Underworld. He wasn't the personification of fear, but rather a minor god of death.

"So the legends are true," North muttered. He didn't look up when everyone save Lithia turned to look at him, absorbed in his own thoughts.

"Every legend is based on _alí̱theia_," the summer spirit said, "that is what makes it a legend. Without it, there would only be a story.

Jack really wished that she would just stick with English. All the foreign words thrown in made her sentences hard to follow. On the other hand, he refused to ask her to translate. The other Guardians didn't seem to be phased by her sudden appearance and cryptic words. He wondered if it was just something that one got used to during centuries of being a Guardian, because he was definitely skeptical.

"But Man in Moon has not said anything," North responded, stroking his long beard thoughtfully. "If what you say is true …"

"I know it doesn't look like his usual work," the newcomer said, "but it's very possible that he might be working with someone else. He isn't the only one of the _Archaía Ki̱demónes_ to have survived the millennia. Several others have adapted as well."

It was a giant question mark over Sandy's head that prompted her to translate for those that needed it. She smiled sheepishly, the sudden lack of airs and graces making her seem a lot younger than she had first appeared. It was only then that Jack realized that she was probably more towards his seventeen years than the eighteen/nineteen he had originally pegged her as. For some reason, this annoyed him even further.

"Sorry," she apologized, "I forget which language I'm using and slip sometimes. The Ancient Guardians," she clarified. "Zeus, Poseidon, Ares … that lot? They were the Guardians of lightning, the sea, war, etcetera. In ancient times they were revered as gods by both the Greeks and Romans. Later, as faith began to die, so did they. Eventually they all faded out due to lack of belief, except for a few of the minor ones, whom had never been strongly believed in to begin with."

"And Pitch was one of them," Jack said from where he stood, surprising even himself. "He changed, he adapted. He moved up from this Underworld place. Eventually he stopped symbolizing death and rather enjoyed peoples' fear. Sometime in the sixteenth century, he became known as the bogeyman after parents used the stories to scare their children. He was believed in again, and used that power to make a comeback."

"Give the kid an award," Lithia declared. "Perhaps you aren't as _pago̱ménos _up there as I thought," she added scathingly.

He wasn't entirely sure what she had said, but he was certain that it had been an insult. Most likely it was based around the fact he was the winter spirit.

"Alright, alright. Stop it," North broke in. He fixed Lithia with a stern glare. "If you want to help, you must be civil. Yes?"

"_Den prókeitai na symveí_," she muttered, sending a glance in Jack's direction.

"In English?" The large man prompted, and she sighed.

"I don't make promises," she said coldly. "But I will give my best effort."

Well this was going to be interesting. Pitch back, intriguing history coming to light, and a summer spirit to counter his own winter. Yeah, civility was going to be hard-pressed in the coming days.

* * *

**Greek Translations:**

_Éla – _come

_Theoí mou _ – my gods

_Fengári – _moon

_gami̱ménos_ – screwing*

_Ti sto diáolo – _what the hell

_O̱ theoí gami̱méno mou_ – oh my flipping* gods

_Paidí_ – honey

_Echthrós_ – enemy

_gamó̱_ – screw*

_kairós_ – weather

_efiáltes_ – nightmares

_mia istoría_ – a story

_Archaía Ki̱demónes_ – Ancient Guardians

_pago̱ménos_ – frozen

_Den prókeitai na symveí _ – Not going to happen

*****means I've changed the English translation to a slightly milder form of the expletive.

_So review … please?_


	5. 4: You had to go and say that

_Chapter 4 … I need to get a move on. I haven't got 5 written yet. I appreciate all your reviews. Enjoy! I hope the Greek doesn't throw you off too much._

* * *

**Lithia Summers**

"_Den prókeitai na symveí_," I muttered, glancing toward the winter spirit. He met my gaze levelly, and I rolled my eyes as I looked away. Civility? Fine. If the ice boy stayed away from me, I could maybe remain civil. Considering the fact it looked like that wouldn't happen, things were already looking rather hopeless.

"In English?" The large man prompted.

_O̱ theoí mou_. Was he really going to press this? I couldn't promise him anything. I _wouldn't_ promise him anything. I actually rather liked these people, despite the hostilities. That was understandable, and I forgave them for it. How could I get around this one?

"I don't make promises," I finally said, unconsciously injecting copious amounts of ice into my tone, "but I will give my best effort."

I cringed at my tone. I hadn't meant to sound that cold. Hopefully no one would take offense.

Luckily, North nodded curtly. "Well," he said brightly, "we seem to have missed introductions. I am Nicholas St. North," he introduced himself in his accented voice. "Guardian of Wonder."

I smiled as he went on to introduce the others.

E. Aster Bunnymund- Guardian of Hope  
Toothiana 'Tooth'- Guardian of Memories  
The Sandman 'Sandy'- Guardian of Dreams  
and Jack Frost- Guardian of Fun and Happiness

They each offered some sort of greeting, even Jack. Though Jack's was more of an acknowledgement grunt-slash-glower, I still took it.

"I'm, uhm, sorry I barged in here like this," I apologized, looking down at my feet. "My name is Lithia- Lithia Summers, though I already told you that. Uh …" I trailed off. It had been so long since I actually talked to people, I forgot what I had to do. A few minutes earlier, I had had a purpose. Now? It was just me. "I hope to be an asset to you guys to finally defeat Pitch?" My sentence ended on a high note, making it sound like a question.

Apparently that was acceptable too. I sighed in relief, tossing my curls back from my face. As soon as I did, the first thing I was met with was the sight of Toothiana hovering in front of me. A couple of her fairy helpers hovered by her side. I raised my eyebrows in a question, and she finally burst out with what she wanted to say.

"I don't have yours, do I?" She practically squealed in delight, "Can I look? Please?"

I examined her face, automatically searching for any sign of malicious intent. I hated the fact that I did it, but it was one of the things I just couldn't help. After one has been alive for as long as I have, being wary becomes a second instinct.

Convinced she wouldn't hurt me, I opened my mouth. I immediately regretted my decision, not because it hurt, but just because it was so damn awkward. I knew that every other Guardian was staring at me, amused and unsurprised by Tooth's antics. I felt my cheeks heating up as the blood rushed to them. I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see anyone else.

Tooth fangirled over my teeth for a few minutes longer, then stepped back. There was a confused look on her face. "I think I would remember someone like you … did you never lose your teeth? But you're at least fifteen …"

I sighed, running my hand back through my hair. "You didn't exist back when I was a child," I said shortly. I knew I was being rude, but I couldn't quite help it. My past was a touchy subject- I didn't like touching upon it.

It took me a minute, but the silence then clued me in to the fact that the other Guardians were staring at me. "What now?" I asked defensively. Their gazes were seriously starting to make me uncomfortable. After years of passing unseen in solitude, the sudden attention was quite unnerving.

"I am thousands of years old," Tooth said, still examining me. "To hear that you are older is … disconcerting."

"Ah," I said, jerking my head. "Well, I would say I'm sorry, but I'm really not. It is not my fault that I have been immortal since 500 B-C. I would much rather have just died."

I guess my caustic tone caught them off guard. They exchanged uneasy glances, seeing what the other members of their group thought of me. It was harmless, really, but it offended me quite a bit. Charis remained perched on my shoulder, offering me the little comfort that she could. I reached up with the hand that wasn't holding the drachma and gently stroked her feathers. She chirped in pleasure, and I had to smile.

"Wait, wait," Jack broke in again from where he stood. _Edó̱ páme páli_, I couldn't help but think. Here we go again.

"You mean to say that you died, just the way I did?"

"Well," I said shortly, "it was rather more _fiery_, I have to admit. And I ultimately failed in saving him. But yes. I died. And _Fengári_ made me immortal. So yeah, I guess you could say that."

"But you have your memories!" The ice spirit exploded. "How is this fair?" He turned his piercing blue glare on the other Guardians. "I spent three hundred years not knowing who I was! Why is it that _she_ remembers? Why couldn't I?

I rolled my eyes at his outburst. Really? I then nearly giggled at North's befuddled expression. "They can't answer your questions, Jackyboy. It's not like they had even heard of me before now," I pointed out teasingly.

He opened his mouth to snap at me, but I quickly cut him off before he could speak. "Would you have really wanted those memories?" I asked, suddenly serious. "Knowing what you know now, would you have wanted to live for three hundred years knowing your _adelfí̱_ would have to grow up without you, would have to go home and explain to your _mi̱téra_ what happened? Would you want to be able to see them, only to not be able to shout out and tell them that you were there?"

That had shut him up. He stared at me, dumbfounded. My gaze was only on him, so I couldn't see that the other Guardians were watching both him and me very carefully. Still, I continued.

"You would watch them grow up. You would watch them live with their grief of losing you. You would watch them grow old. You would see your _mi̱téra_ die, then years later, your _adelfí̱_. After they were gone, what would you do? Can you honestly say that you would want that, Jack? You're lucky. You remember them now only up until the day you died. You have the centuries to buffer the pain. They're long gone now; there is nothing that you could have done." I took a deep breath, sorely in need of one. I wasn't done. The others were still watching in stunned silence, but I could care less.

"When you finally did remember, you were in the middle of fighting _Thánatos_ – sorry – Pitch, and you couldn't take the time to let it get to you. You are so lucky. Because me? I remember everything, and I have had millennia to stew over it. It has nearly killed me, several times over."

"I-"

I cut him off once more. "_That_ is why _Fengári _took your memories when he brought you back; it's because he knew what they had done to me, and took pity on you."

I finished my little spiel, leaving the winter spirit at a loss for words. I stared harshly at him for a few moments longer. I tossed the purple coin upwards, hitting it with a blast of heat as I did so. The purple and ice swirled away from it, leaving it its shiny gold color once more.

Snapping at Jack had just put me in a very bad mood. The words had brought the memories flooding back once more. I had to look away from him as I started seeing Lysander in his face. I turned my gaze toward the floor, blinking hard to clear my vision and prevent the tears from welling up.

"Please excuse me," I said after a few minutes of silence, "I have some things that I need to think over. _Thánatos_ is working with someone, and I need to figure out who."

I just needed to carry on. Just like I always did. I reached the window and slung myself onto the sill, leaning against the wall where I could. Charis followed me there, landing on my shoulder once more when I was settled. I shut my eyes tightly, banishing both the original Charis' and Lysander's faces from my mind. When I opened them again, I was met with only the white tundra before me.

Much better.

* * *

**Jack Frost**

Jack watched as the summer spirit stalked toward the window, muttering in a foreign language under her breath. He opened his mouth to say something – anything – but he couldn't think of anything to say to that.

She had been right. She had been right, and he hated that. He supposed he hadn't thought of it that way before. He had been so caught up in cursing the moon and regaining his memories that he hadn't even stopped to think about _why_.

He blinked a few times, regaining his senses enough to see that the other Guardians were staring at him. "What?" he exploded, straightening up and shifting his grip on his staff.

"She got ya there, kid," Bunnymund drawled.

"Heh," Jack exhaled slightly, "yeah." Despite everything, he couldn't help but let one of the corners of his mouth turn up in a small smile.

"So what do we do now?" Tooth asked the group worriedly.

"Well," North said, "If she tells truth, we must fight again. It seems she know much more than we do."

"And that's part of the problem," Bunnymund broke in. "How can we trust 'er? Manny ain't said anythin' for years."

"I think we can trust her," Jack said, surprising everyone. "What?" he asked, "I mean, her story makes sense …"

"This is true," North admitted. "I have heard such legend of Ancient Guardians."

"She speaks Greek," Tooth pointed out. "The Ancient Guardians would have been worshipped by the ancient Greeks, and later the Romans. If anyone knows what they're talking about, it would be her."

"That's Greek?" Jack asked the birdlike Guardian, "I couldn't place it."

"It was Greek," Tooth replied, "trust me." She did, after all, understand every language that was spoken.

Things fell silent for a minute, but Sandy prompted them again with an image of a flame and then a question mark. _What about Lithia_?

"We shall see," North pronounced. "If Pitch is back, she stays. She helps. We make other decision later."

It was delaying the problem, but it was the best solution they had at the moment. They couldn't decide whether to accept her into the group without Manny's permission, and he hadn't spoken to them, like Bunnymund had said, in years.

As the five of them broke up, Jack observed the figure in the window curiously. Making up his mind, he approached her carefully. He smirked as she shivered when he grew closer.

"It's you," she said as coldly as a summer spirit could when he sat down on the other side of the window ledge. He observed her skeptically, an eyebrow raised. Her red hair fell into her face, hiding her bright eyes. There was no snow around where she sat, the wood a dark brown rather than the dusty white it always seemed to be.

"Yep," he said, popping the 'p.' "It's me."

The girl sighed, shaking her hair out of her face as she looked up at the sky. "What do you want?" She asked, no friendlier. "Done talking about me with the others?"

Jack panicked slightly. "H- how did you know? We were being quiet!"

Lithia chuckled, her trembling frame giving her away. "You're hilarious," she said sarcastically. "It was obvious. And predictable. You only confirmed it for me."

"Well, you're welcome then," the ice spirit replied sullenly.

The little golden bird – Charis – left Lithia's shoulder to land on Jack's raised knee. She peered into his face curiously, cheeping as she did so. There was intelligence behind those little bird eyes, more than he had seen in other birds before.

"Hello," he said softly, reaching tentatively toward the creature with an outstretched index finger. He smiled when she made no move to escape, allowing him to pet her with light fingers.

"She likes you," Lithia commented, watching them. "She's never let anyone other than me touch her before. Of course, it could be because 'anyone' only ever consisted of mortals before."

"They can see her?" The winter spirit asked her in surprise.

"Yeah," she laughed. "It's caused quite a stir with some ornithologists before. Apparently golden palm weavers aren't supposed to be found in northern New England. Sometimes it's an accident. Sometimes we just like to _gamó̱_ with the scientists."

"You aren't using as much Greek now," Jack observed casually. It was quite a difference, actually being able to understand what the girl was saying.

"Is that a problem?" Lithia asked, suddenly hostile. "Just because I'm Greek, does that mean I have to speak the language all the time? Because if that's the case, _Tha í̱thela na milí̱so̱ kýklous gýro̱ sas gia ó̱res, i̱líthios_."

"No, no!" he protested, backpedaling, "I didn't mean it that way! It was just an observation! Do you honestly take offense at everything I say? 'Cause I can just as easily walk away and never talk to you again."

The girl sighed, reining in her temper. "No, no. _Sygnó̱mi̱_. I …"

"Don't worry about it," Jack told her, assuming that 'Sygnomi' was some sort of apology.

The two of them fell silent, simply looking over the white tundra before them. It wasn't long before a small _drip, drip_ caught their attention.

Jack laughed when he realized what was happening. When Lithia shot him a look, he did his best to explain.

"You keep melting my ice," he said, pointing to a spot in the middle of the windowsill. A small stream of water was constantly freezing, melting, and refreezing again, only to melt once more. It made its way down the ledge and fell off, thus creating the constant _drip_ they were hearing.

The summer spirit couldn't help but smile as well at the absurdity of the situation.

"Hey," Jack said suddenly, "are you okay? You know, after what you said earlier …"

Her face fell, and Jack could feel her pulling into herself and away from him. "Yeah," she said quietly, "yeah, I'm fine. I just … remembered things I would rather forget."

"Okay," was his only response.

A sudden decrease in temperature was their only warning.

"Oh, how _touching_. I must admit that I'm surprised to see you here. What was it you once told me? Oh yes- _na eínai mónos eínai na eínai cho̱rís póno_."

Jack felt a chill run down his spine at the taunting voice. Charis alighted off his knee within seconds, landing instead on Lithia's shoulder. Lithia herself had sprung to her feet, rolling her little coin in between her fingers.

He leapt up as well, grabbing his staff in his hand and hovering midair. "Where are you? Show yourself, Pitch!"

"Having others stick up for you now, Lithie?" the disembodied voice continued, "Whatever happened to 'I work alone'?"

"Do. _Not_. Call me 'Lithie,'" the summer spirit snarled. "We know you're there, _Thánatos_. You might as well show yourself."

"But this is so much _fun_. Come inside. You're bound to catch cold standing out there in all the snow."

Jack could see that by now, the other Guardians had been alerted to Pitch's presence as well. North was edging his way toward his swords while Bunnymund was already clenching his boomerangs. Sandy had a fierce expression on his face and Tooth was scanning the room warily.

"What do you want, _Thánatos_? What is your reasoning this time? Death? Fear? Belief? World domination?"

"My dear. Do you really think so highly of me? This isn't even your fight."

"So whose fight is it, then?" Jack broke in, moving forward.

A sinister laugh broke out, filling the air hauntingly. "Yours," came the chilling answer.

"You're out for revenge," Lithia said, surprising them.

"You know me all too well, dear. So really, you can just go back to the Bahamas or whatever."

"It snowed. In Califorinia. If you're going to _gamó̱ _with the weather, it becomes my problem. You know that."

"Oh that wasn't me," Pitch said.

A tense silence hung in the air, each and every one of them glancing about all corners of the room. Lithia fiddled with her coin. Jack shifted his grip on his staff. The other Guardians all stood back to back, preferred weapons in hand.

"Boo." Suddenly, he was right there in front of him. Jack immediately blasted him with ice and snow, but he wasn't the only one that had that idea. A wave of heat shot from the redhead beside him, aimed at the same dark shadowy figure.

Pitch merely laughed as both forces cancelled each other out before reaching him. "You're doing more harm than good here, Lithie. Thank you so very much."

With that, he disappeared.

"Damn it, Lithia! I had him!" Jack exploded at the summer spirit.

"Well sor-_ry_. What did you expect me to do? 'Hey, there's the guy you've hated for oohhh, maybe _over two thousand years_! Now just stay back and DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!?'" She screamed back, "Yeah, no. _Den nomízo̱ óti étsi_!"

"Will you _quit it_ with the Greek? It doesn't make things any easier!"

"Oh, right. _Giatí óla prépei na eínai éf̱kolo gia sas, étsi den eínai_."

"Now you're just doing it on purpose!"

"Only because you make it so _easy_, believe me!"

"QUIET! BOTH OF YOU!" North roared, silencing both of the teenaged spirits.

Lithia and Jack exchanged glares before stalking over to opposite sides of the room. From there, they pointedly ignored each other.

Bunnymund snorted softly. "Teenagers," he muttered under his breath.

"Now then," North continued, "Pitch is back. We must prepare."

* * *

**Greek Translations:**

_Den prókeitai na symveí _ – Not going to happen

_O̱ theoí mou – _oh my gods_  
Edó̱ páme páli_ – here we go again_  
Fengári_ – moon

_adelfí̱_ – sister

_mi̱téra _– mother

_gamó̱ _– screw*

_Tha í̱thela na milí̱so̱ me chará kýklous gýro̱ sas gia ó̱res, i̱líthios _– I would talk circles around you for hours, idiot

_Sygnó̱mi̱ _– sorry

_na eínai mónos eínai na eínai cho̱rís póno _– to be alone is to be without pain

_Den nomízo̱ óti étsi _– I don't think so

_Giatí óla prépei na eínai éf̱kolo gia sas, étsi den eínai _– Because everything has to be easy for you, doesn't it

*****means I've changed the English translation to a slightly milder form of the expletive.


	6. 5: Windy's City

_I do apologise for the delay. I got stuck, and had to rework it a bit. Plus Life got in the way of things a little bit. But here's chapter 6, finally._

* * *

**Lithia Summers**

The other Guardians left about an hour later after much debate. I supposed they each went back to their respective domains, probably to warn their underlings about the threat. I don't know. I didn't really care about them. What I did care about was that it left only me, North, and Jack in the workshop.

If that wasn't a recipe for disaster, I don't know what was.

I had retreated to a perch up in the rafters of the room, lounging comfortably in a Y-joint. Charis had since left me to perch upon Jack. "Traitor," I had muttered as she flew away from me. She had only chirped back in response.

As much as it pained me to admit it, it looked as if she had taken well to Jack. As much as I wanted to hold it against her, I couldn't. She had always wished for more interaction with people, moreso than I was willing to put up with. She couldn't go and play with the humans for obvious reasons- she was too intelligent for a regular bird, and she was supposed to be in Africa. Now, however, it looked as if she could actually interact with others. Before Tooth had left, Charis had even chattered with Baby Tooth for a long while.

I knew it was wrong, but I was beginning to feel resentment toward the little bird for being able to make friends so quickly. For a couple minutes, I had felt that I could actually become friends with the winter spirit. I thought maybe he wasn't as bad as I had made him out to be. I had tried my best not to show it, but I had actually been _happy_ for a few minutes there.

Then Pitch came to ruin everything, and I once again learned that fire and ice were just as incompatible as I had originally thought.

This was why I stayed on my own. This was why I kept my self-inflicted policy of isolationism- because other people will only hurt you in the end.

_Na eínai mónos eínai na eínai cho̱rís póno.  
To be alone is to be without pain._

I would help the Guardians with this one issue. I would defeat _Thánatos_… again. Then I would be gone. Okinawa was sounding better and better by the hour. Then I would be far from the North, and the snow, and the ice … and the spirit that embodied these things.

I let out a loud huff of annoyance. Problem was, _Thánatos _wasn't working alone. He couldn't be. That snow was obviously not natural and obviously not courtesy of Jack. And yet, the snow wasn't Pitch's doing- he had said so himself.

_So who on earth could it be?_

It didn't take me long to think through my options. I'm not going to pretend that I'm some sort of super detective … truth is, there were very few people to even consider. There was no logical way that most of them could do it, and there was even less of a reason for them _to_ be doing it.

Wait …

"Bastard," I muttered under my breath. There was really only one person that could have caused this fiasco. A person I had a … less than savory history with.

"What? Who?" A shocked, somewhat offended voice cut into my consciousness. I jerked my head up in shock, yanked forcefully from my thoughts.

I wish I could say that I recovered quickly, but I really can't. "Wha-" I stammered, uncollected. My brain started working furiously, trying to figure out who had spoken. Jack. Of course. It took me a few more moments before I realized what he had said.

"Not you," I told him as soon as I had recalibrated. I peered down at him from where I was perched. He was staring at me from across the room. I nearly flushed a deep red upon realizing I had accidentally spoken louder than I had thought. "Ignore me," I said dismissively.

"No."

Oka- wait … what?

I was shocked. I'm certain I gaped openly like a fish for a few seconds before I was able to put a coherent sentence together. This wouldn't do. I couldn't keep falling apart like this, especially in front of hi- _them_. I meant _them_. I couldn't fall apart in front of them. I needed to keep my cool. _They_ didn't affect me in any way, shape or form. I was helping them with this, and then I would be gone. I could honestly care less what _they_ thought.

"What do you mean, _óchi_?" I asked, substituting the Greek translation. The thought that someone would refuse to ignore me was a new concept.

Jack sighed irritably. "I mean _no_," he said, stressing the English. "Is it really that hard to understand?" Sometime as he was talking, he had moved across the room. He was now standing directly at the base of the strut I was perched in, looking up at me.

"I get what 'no' means," I snapped, pulling some of my defenses back up. "I just don't get _why_."

"Do I really have to explain it?" He asked, looking around the room. If I didn't know better, I would have thought he was avoiding looking at me. It was also at this point I realized that North was no longer in the room. When had he left?

"It would be nice," I said. I refused to cringe at the scathing tone my voice had taken. Sure, I hadn't meant to sound so caustic, but it wasn't a bad thing. The further I could distance myself from people, the better.

Jack finally looked back at me. "It's just- when someone calls somebody a bastard, it usually means that somebody had hurt them in some way … I was just wo-" he broke off.

"Worried? Wondering?" I laughed derisively, fighting off an odd feeling of happiness. "Jackyboy, I've been hurt by so many people over the years, it would be wise to just stop right there. Go off and worry about yourself- I don't need it. I don't want it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some errands to run."

I called Charis to me, and she reluctantly left the comfort of the ice spirit's sweatshirt to land on my shoulder. I popped my drachma out of its holder around my neck and tossed it into the air, where it hovered before it grew to a size that would hold me. Jumping out of the Y-bend, I landed on it without fumbling.

"But … _sas ef̱charistó̱_," I said softly, looking back at him. _Thank you._

He didn't understand what I said, I know that much. I was extremely grateful for that fact, too. I was Lithia Summers, one-woman wolf pack- I didn't need anyone else. I hadn't needed anyone else for millennia. Still …

Still nothing. Nothing would change, I insisted to myself as I zoomed out of the large window. It would be best to stop daydreaming now before I got myself in any more trouble later on down the road.

I sped across the surface of the Earth, flying high to ensure I didn't melt inexplicable trails into the snow. Add that to the list of reasons why I hate winter- I couldn't feel the adrenaline rush of flying close to the ground, dodging trees and other obstacles. It was one of the things that really made me feel alive, and took my mind off other matters.

Flying this high, and this safely, my mind had time to wander. This is never a good thing.

There was only one person that could have caused the thing in California. One man, whom I've known since the Greek days. One man, whom I've tried to avoid for millennia.

Back then, he went by the name _Zéphuros_. One of the four wind gods, though he's the only one left now. I was friends with his wife, Iris. She used to be one of my best friends … key word 'used to.' She's gone too, due to lack of believers.

As I shot toward Chicago, Illinois, the pit of dread in my stomach grew. Charis chittered comfortingly- she knew what was happening. I tried to mentally prepare myself for the confrontation, but I knew that it wasn't going to be much use in the long run.

I hated _Zéphuros_- or Windy, as he called himself now. I hated him even more than _Thánatos_, or Pitch. He used to be okay, if not a little sketchy, but since everyone else disappeared …

I reached Chicago a little while later, directing myself to an abandoned old warehouse.

Again, I hate to admit my faults, but I was so concentrated on what was ahead of me that I didn't see what was behind me.

* * *

**Jack Frost**

"_Sas ef̱charistó̱_."

The winter spirit could not get those two foreign words out of his head. They had just been so … different.

Jack didn't know what he had been thinking. Sure, she had called someone a bastard. Given their situation, he had understandably thought she had been talking to him. He had the right to be offended and indignant … didn't he?

That wasn't even the problem. Even after she had insisted she hadn't been talking about him, something had kept him talking. Of course, he knew where that would get him. He knew where that was going to get him, yet he tried anyway.

Who would've thought that the spirit of summer and warmth could be so cold?

Jack knew they would never be best friends. He knew that as soon as this deal with Pitch was over, she would be gone. He still figured that it wouldn't hurt to be civil, at least.

Well, look where that had gotten him.

But those last two words, uttered in Greek … they had sounded so different from her usual vitriolic tone. He only wished he knew what they had meant.

In fact, that whole conversation had been weird. Seriously, _errands_? What kind of errands would she need to be … oh.

He remembered then what she had been doing before their … altercation. She had been trying to work out who had been working in conjunction with Pitch. He began putting the pieces together and finally realized just what she was doing.

She had gone after him. Or her, he supposed, but most likely him. Suddenly curious, Jack walked over to the window. This was a bad idea, he thought. If the summer spirit found out about this, she would most likely be furious.

Her words played over in his head, and he clenched his fists angrily. _Jackyboy_. As if she were so much better than he was. As if he was just a little kid. As if he had been foolish to even think about worrying over her. Surely she didn't think that she could simply say something like that, alluding to the fact she had been hurt by so many, and then expect him not to question her?

Because it wasn't going to work. He had so many questions, and they were going to be answered, one way or another.

Without another thought he leapt out of the window and flew off, the winds propelling him forward. Had this been any other time he would have looped and swirled through the sky, stopping every now and again to instigate a snowball fight somewhere below him. Not today. Today, he rocketed through the sky at speeds he rarely ever travelled at trying to keep up with the fiery enigma that had left before him.

Jack wished he could have taken a snow-globe portal to wherever it was Lithia had went, but he couldn't do that without knowing where he was trying to go. Not to mention he would have had to ask North for a globe to begin with, and that would have raised some questions he'd rather not answer. He knew he was going to have to keep this little excursion on the down-low from the others.

It wasn't hard to find the course Lithia had taken. Her travel had super-heated a trail through the air, one that was exceptionally easy for a winter spirit to follow. Jack traveled alongside it, trying his best to avoid flying into the scorching air. Every now and then, he would miscalculate and wonder why the hell he was doing this in the first place.

He noted with curiosity when the trail led him to Chicago. He had been to the Windy City several times before, often taking advantage of its rather blustery conditions. In all the times he had been there, he hadn't noticed anything special about the place. Still, he followed the strengthening trail down into the depths of the city. Unfortunately there wasn't much space between the buildings, forcing Jack to fly through the blazing trail the summer spirit had left.

Jack stumbled upon his landing, collapsing forward. His grip on his staff was the only thing keeping him upright at that point. He was a winter spirit- he wasn't supposed to be exposed to such extreme heat. As he recovered, he examined the large building in front of him. What sort of Guardian would willingly live in such a place, he wondered.

He was startled by a fluffy blur of yellow. Chattering incessantly, the constant companion of the girl he was following landed on his shoulder. Jack grinned and reached up to rub the little bird's head. She really was adorable, much unlike her keeper. A couple seconds later, he froze.

Slowly, he looked up under the heated gaze of an irate summer spirit. Considering this fact, when he said heated, he meant he could actually feel the temperature change. She stood in the doorway of the warehouse, glaring fiery daggers at him. He wasn't afraid of her – no way – but he gulped a little as he straightened up.

The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

"What. The. _Kólasi̱_ are you doing here?" She asked curtly, her words darker than one would have expected from a girl of light. Dark and threatening.

"Oh, please," Jack said, irritated with her reaction to his presence. "Did you really think you could say something like that and expect me _not_ to follow?"

"Go back now," she called, crossing her bare arms over her chest. "That wasn't a request," she added when Jack made no move to leave.

"Well, it's a good thing I don't take orders very well then," the ice spirit snarked back. "I'm staying until you tell me what you're doing here."

"Jack …" she warned. Charis fluttered off Jack's shoulder to perch on her companion. She was smart. She knew what was about to happen. She knew which side she wanted to be on.

"Lithia …" the ice spirit mocked. Her name felt weird in his mouth. It wasn't the first time he had said it, but it hung in the air between them. Sitting right on top of the aforementioned tension.

"_Pi̱gaíno̱_."

"English?"

"Go."

"Make me."

He realized all too late that she was dead serious, and had taken his 'suggestion' to heart. He dived to the side only just in time to avoid the beam of light suddenly emanating from her palms. It crashed into the ground just behind him, causing scorch marks that would certainly intrigue the mortals upon discovery.

"You're on fire," Jack couldn't help but deadpan upon looking back at her. He didn't mean it as a compliment to her skills- she was literally on fire. Small flames flickered their way up her arms and at the hem of her dress. Her hair, as red as it had been before, now gave the illusion of fire cascading down her back and across her shoulders. Her eyes were burning as well, unnaturally bright.

"It wouldn't be the first time," she spat ruefully. Jack wondered for a second whether there was hidden meaning behind her words. Something tickled the back of his mine, but her attack commenced before he could chase it.

She shot at him once more. Being prepared this time, he quickly erected an ice shield. The battle went on between the two for quite a few minutes with neither of them gaining the upper hand. Their powers were equal and opposite. Their attacks countered each other perfectly, negating any effect either might have had.

Jack could see that Lithia grew increasingly more irritated as she couldn't land a hit. The flames that surrounded her grew in intensity, casting an ethereal glow around her features. It would have been pretty, he supposed, if it didn't look so damned dangerous.

She stopped throwing her light at him, breathing hard. "Where do you get off!?" she demanded of him angrily. "Do you really not trust me so much you had to go and follow me?"

The ice spirit scoffed. "It's not really like you've given me much reason to trust you!"

"I haven't lied about anything!" she exclaimed. "You can't accuse me of that!"

"No, you haven't! You've told us practically nothing! _Who are you_!?"

"An ally."

"Well _that's_ not enigmatic at all!"

"_Pára polý kakó_," she snapped in Greek, "It's all you're gonna get!"

"Oh, well this is surprising," a new voice broke in, "Lover's quarrel? Lithie, dear. I thought you said we'd be together forever. This breaks my heart."

Both spirits turned to face the origin of the interjection with very different reactions displayed across their faces. The ice spirit was confused, while his polar opposite seethed in anger.

"Together forever _in hell_," Lithia muttered viciously. Jack was the only one close enough to hear her words, and his eyes widened in shock. Apparently there was a bit of history between her and this … man … who had just appeared. Was this why she had been so mad at him for following her?

Taking a better look at him, though, Jack was glad he had. There was something about him that just screamed 'not good.' Perhaps it was his oily tone that sent shivers down his spine. Perhaps it was the predatory smirk that was fixed upon his face. Perhaps it was the hooded eyes that watched the red-haired girl with some less-than-wholesome gaze.

Perhaps it was all three.

"-not a lover's quarrel," he realized Lithia was saying, "I barely know the guy. I'm not like you, _Zéphuros_."

"No," the man – Zephyrus? – said, grinning, "but you _like_ me."

… Perhaps it was more than just a _bit_ of history …

* * *

**Greek Translations:**

_Na eínai mónos eínai na eínai cho̱rís póno_ – to be alone is to be without pain

_Óchi_ – no

_sas ef̱charistó – _thank you

_Pi̱gaíno – _go

_Pára polý kakó_ – too bad


End file.
